Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is both a pioneer
of aviation and a well- known French writer. He was born in Lyon, France, in 1900.
At an early age, he dreamed of a life of adventure and wanted to become a naval
officer. Unfortunately, he failed the exam to qualify him for naval officer training
school. As a result, he turned his attention to the field of aviation. Even though
flying was dangerous and risky in Saint-Exupéry's time, he joined the military
and trained to be a pilot. After his military service, he presented himself to
the director of an airline company and expressed his desire to become a commercial
pilot. The director told him he must first become an airplane mechanic.

Finally,
in 1927, after serving as a mechanic, Saint-Exupéry became a pilot, opening
up new air routes over the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, and the Sahara Desert.
Because of the danger of flying, he had a number of accidents, but he escaped
any major injuries. Later Saint-Exupéry became the director of his own
aviation company in South America, where he often flew dangerous routes over the
Andes Mountains.

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For Saint-Exupéry, flying was not just piloting an airplane; it was a time
for meditation and reflection. While in the air, Saint- Exupéry would think
deeply about solitude, friendship, the meaning of life, the human condition, and
liberty. He decided to publish his reflections into a book, which was successful.
When his aviation company failed, Saint-Exupéry decided to pursue writing
as a career. He first became a journalist, traveling to Spain, Russia, and Germany.
He also wrote two philosophical books based on aviation: Night Flight (1932)
and Wind, Sand, and Stars (1939). Still in love with piloting an airplane,
Saint-Exupéry continued to fly whenever he had the opportunity.

In
1939, when France went to war with Germany, Saint-Exupéry immediately enlisted
in the army, hoping to become a military pilot in the war effort. France, however,
was soon defeated and occupied by Hitler's troops. Saint-Exupéry decided
to leave his homeland, settle in the United States, and pursue his writing career.
It was in New York that he published The Little Prince, his most celebrated
book, in 1943. Since its first publication, more than 25 million copies have been
sold in 75 different countries.

In 1942, when American troops landed in North
Africa, Saint- Exupéry decided to join the U.S. Army as a pilot. Since
he was 42 years of age, he was initially considered too old to be a pilot and
was not allowed to fly; however, Saint-Exupéry persisted and was finally
given an airplane. He accomplished many missions over occupied France. On July
31, 1944, Saint-Exupéry left for his last mission. His plane was destroyed
by the Germans over the Mediterranean.

LITERARY/HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Though it is not simply a book for young people, The Little Prince
ranks number five in the world on the list of best-selling children's books of
all time. Wind, Sand, and Stars and Night Flight also remain among
the top ten best-selling French language books of all time.

The Little
Prince is a profound and deeply moving book written in riddles and laced with
philosophy and poetic metaphors. The Little Prince's philosophy, "What is
essential is invisible to the eye," is well-known throughout the world. The
book is, in part, autobiographical. Saint-Exupéry did, indeed, crash his
airplane in the Sahara Desert, and like the narrator, he knew how to repair it.
More importantly, the book gives the author's innermost thoughts on life and love.